


While You Were Sleeping

by zarrati



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Baby Fic, F/M, Smut, pregnancy fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-30
Updated: 2014-09-30
Packaged: 2018-02-19 07:41:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2380301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarrati/pseuds/zarrati
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben battles insomnia and his own insecurities as he faces some of life’s greatest challenges. Story set approximately 18 months post “Leslie and Ben”.</p>
            </blockquote>





	While You Were Sleeping

The human brain: one of evolution’s greatest achievements. Still mysterious how electrical impulses create memories and thoughts, how a few simple hormones dictate emotion against one's own will. Many go about their daily lives never once pondering these aspects of their own bodies, never truly realizing that they are at the mercy of these few bundles of nerves. Ben Wyatt used to consider himself a member of this category; that is until recently, when his thoughts have become so overwhelming, they prevent his mind from shutting down.  
  


That's why he now stares blankly up at his darkened ceiling, the clock on the nightstand angrily blaring 3:47 AM. His fingers are laced behind his head as he sighs heavily for what must have been the thousandth time that night. His body is screaming for rest, but his mind refuses to cooperate. He figures this must be what it's like inside Leslie's head, so filled with thoughts and ideas that she is only afforded a few hours of rest each night.

  
At the thought of his wife, Ben turns his head slightly to rest his gaze upon her sleeping form. He can probably count on one hand the number of times that he has been able to watch her like this, her face at peace and her body relaxed. For a brief moment, he is envious of her rest, desperate to turn off his racing mind. However, that envy is quickly replaced by guilt, knowing that no one is more deserving of these few moments of respite than Leslie.  
  


The past eighteen months since they married have been a whirlwind of activity and changes, but then again, life with Leslie Knope was always this way. Sometimes he feels like he is living with a superhero, one that works tirelessly to save the great City of Pawnee from raccoons, polluted parks, obese children, and sleazy councilmen.

  
But unlike the superheroes that grace the pages of Ben’s prized comics, Leslie doesn’t hide behind a mask of anonymity, relying on an alter ego to separate the two aspects of her life. To Leslie, her professional and private lives are one and the same. She made enemies, as heroes tend to do, but that never deters her from doing what was right, consequences be damned. 

This is the woman that he fell in love with, the woman who from day one went head to head against him in order to save her department. He had never fallen in love that quickly before, especially not after being so consistently insulted. Since then, his life with Leslie has been filled with many "firsts", some of them amazing, some of them heartbreaking, but all of them an integral part of their journey together. 

In fact, it is their newest "first" that has prevented him from sleeping this entire week. Ben's eyes drift down the length of his wife's petite frame and settle on the pronounced swell of her abdomen. All at once, a rush of emotion overtakes him: love, elation, pride, fear, anxiety. The intensity of these conflicting emotions causes a knot to form in the pit of his stomach and a rapid increase in his heart rate.

The day that Leslie told him she was pregnant was one of the happiest of his life. Tears of joy were streaming down both of their faces as they embraced for what felt like hours. Those first few months were difficult, severe morning sickness coupled with Leslie's busy lifestyle clearly took their toll on her, both physically and mentally, but despite these hardships, you would have needed a mop to wipe off the permanent smiles on their faces.  
  
  


While Ben believed that no one could be happier about their growing family than he was, their friends were a close second. When Leslie and Ben first shared the news to the rest of the Parks Department, their genuine excitement and helpfulness touched Ben's heart.

Every morning, Andy would press his ear against Leslie's belly in an attempt to hear the baby, and he insisted on serenading it with Mouse Rat songs.  Ann shared with Leslie her own pregnancy experiences, which Ben knew Leslie appreciated more than words could describe. Tom was surprisingly considerate, helping Leslie more in the office and cutting back on his Ben teasing. Donna was already going on shopping sprees for baby clothes, while Jerry offered to give them some of his girls’ old toys. Ron volunteered to build furniture for the baby’s room, but he insisted this act of kindness was only due to the fact that he had extra lumber that he needed to get rid of. As for April, she responded to the news with what appeared to be her usual brand of disinterest, but Ben swore he briefly saw a flash of a genuine smile when she first heard their announcement.

After Leslie’s first major ultrasound, they had several duplicate images made for their respective offices and one for his wallet so he could proudly show off the first grainy image of his daughter.

They were going to have a little girl.

When the doctor informed them of the sex, Ben just stared at the screen with an ecstatic grin on his face, his hand clutching Leslie’s. He couldn’t believe that he was going to have a daughter. While many of his male friends wanted sons, Ben secretly longed for a daughter, a bright eyed little girl with Leslie's hair and fierce determination.

So one might wonder why only a few months later, this same man is plagued by doubts and fear so intense, he is physically unable to rest.  
  
  
Those first few months he was so consumed with the idea of fatherhood, that he had no time to dwell on any of his insecurities, but now Leslie was soon entering her 9th month and the final countdown was beginning. Like a tidal wave, the reality of parenthood hit Ben square in the face, and he was left paralyzed by it.

  
He was going to have a child, a small, helpless human being completely dependent on him.

  
He had not one iota of doubt that Leslie would make an amazing mother. She was naturally empathetic, caring, loving, and supportive, and with her parks work, Ben witnessed firsthand how great she was with kids.

  
But him? He realized that he didn't know the first thing about children. He had brief encounters with his niece over the past few years, and the one time he visited his newborn sister, she started shrieking the second she was placed in his arms.

  
For the past several nights, these thoughts constantly replay themselves in his head. He is emotionally drained and physically exhausted, dark circles becoming a permanent fixture under his eyes.

  
But despite all of these doubts, he loves his child more than he ever thought it would be possible to love another human being. Almost of its own accord, his hand reaches out, and he places his palm over the surface of Leslie's stomach, smiling as he feels a small kick in response to his touch. He silently curses himself as he feels Leslie move beneath him and hears her breathing change, obviously waking up as a result of his actions.

  
"I'm so sorry," he whispers. "I didn't mean to wake you."

  
"I know," she replies with a soft smile, her voice thick with sleep. She watches contentedly as his thumb absentmindedly moves back and forth over her bump.

  
"Go back to sleep," he urges her lightly. 

  
She falls silent for a time and he thinks that she has fallen back asleep. Suddenly he hears her soft voice pierce the silence of their room.  "You should try to get some sleep too. I know you haven't been sleeping lately."

  
"I was hoping you hadn't noticed."

  
"Of course I noticed. I've been worried about you."

Ben sighs guiltily. "I’m sorry. I don't want you to worry about me. You have enough in your plate as it is. Everything is fine. Please, just go back to sleep."

"Everything is not fine. You haven't been sleeping, and you have been jumpy and anxious for days. Please, just tell me what's bothering you."

Ben's resolve breaks at her pleading voice, desperate to help him with whatever issue is plaguing him.

Taking a deep breath he wraps his arm around her and pulls her close to him, his lips grazing the side of her forehead. "I don't even know how to describe what's going on with me. One minute I'm excited and happy and then the next..." he trails off.

"About the baby?" she says in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah," Ben replies almost reluctantly. "Please don't misunderstand me. I love our little girl so much it hurts. She is the perfect combination of you and me. How could I possibly not be crazy about her? But, God, I don't know. I guess-- I guess I'm just so scared."

Ben glances over at his wife expecting to see a look of sadness or disgust as the pale moonlight illuminates her face. Instead she looks at him with understanding eyes, her expression expectant, waiting for him to release everything he has been holding inside.

"God, Les, I'm terrified. I don't know the first thing about kids, let alone being a father. I mean, you've met my dad. He's not exactly the best role model. What if I mess up? What if she's ashamed of me? What kid would want an impeached mayor who can’t even go on local television without freaking out as a father?" He laughs self deprecatingly. "I must sound like a crazy person to you."

Leslie remains silent, and Ben is too afraid to look at her. After a moment, he hears her soft, caring voice. "You don't sound like a crazy person, Ben. To be honest, I have been dealing with a lot of those fears myself."

"How could you possibly think any of those things, Leslie? You are going to be such an amazing mom." Ben answers, genuinely surprised by her admission.

"And you are going to be an amazing father.  After speaking with my wonderful best friend and experienced mother, Ann Perkins, I realized that what we are experiencing is completely normal." She gently grabs his face and turns him to look at her. "Ben, we are having a  _baby._  This is the scariest most wonderful thing that I have ever done. That  _we_  have ever done. But you know what? You are the most loving, caring, and supportive person that I have ever met, and our baby is lucky to have you as her father."

Ben's eyes fill with tears as he presses his lips firmly against Leslie's and rests his forehead against hers.

“But what if I screw up? What if I forget to baby proof the medicine cabinet, or she hurts herself while I’m watching her, or I buy the wrong kind of organic wipes, or-”

Leslie cuts him off with a quick press of her finger to his lips.

“All parents, both new and experienced, make mistakes, Ben. You should hear half of the stories Ann has told me, but everything turned out alright. All that matters is that we love her, care for her, and support her.” A small smirk crosses Leslie’s lips. “Besides, do you  _honestly_  think that I don’t have at least three dozen binders filled with emergency response plans for any and all foreseeable baby related incidents?”

This earns a heartfelt laugh from Ben. "Thank you. You always know exactly what to say to make everything better. Our baby has the greatest mom in the world. I love you so much.”

Ben leans in and places a gentle kiss on his wife’s lips, but Leslie quickly deepens it, pressing her tongue against his lips, demanding entrance.  The kiss quickly escalates, their tongue dueling and teeth pulling at each other’s lips. After several minutes, Ben grabs Leslie’s face and gently pulls away.

“As much as I want to continue this, you need your rest, and if we don’t stop now, I will not be responsible for my actions,” he says with a teasing yet sultry grin.

Leslie raises her brow and lightly runs her hand over the front of his boxer shorts, pressing against Ben’s growing arousal. He inhales sharply at the contact and that earns a small chuckle from Leslie.

“Well, since both of us are in desperate need of sleep, I think I know just the activity to tire us out,” Leslie whispers before claiming his lips once more.

Thankfully, they were way beyond the stage of pregnancy where Ben was fearful that sex would harm the baby. Right around the time that Leslie began to show, she noticed that Ben would make up excuses in order to avoid sex. Thanks to high levels of pregnancy hormones that caused her emotions to go haywire, Leslie, at first, believed that Ben’s reluctance was due to the fact that he no longer found her sexually attractive. However, her more rational side eventually kicked in, and she noted that Ben’s responses to her didn’t change. He told her constantly how attractive he found her, and whenever Leslie initiated foreplay, Ben’s arousal was evident.

Leslie finally pressed the issue after two frustratingly sexless weeks, and Ben reluctantly admitted that he was afraid that sex would disturb the baby. Luckily, Leslie was more than prepared for this situation and pulled out one of her “baby binders” filled with reports and articles on the safety and benefits of sex during pregnancy. So after those two torturous weeks, Leslie and Ben’s sex life flourished, her orgasms so much more intense due to the pregnancy.

As the couple exchange passionate kisses, Ben runs his hands down the length of Leslie’s body, thankful that the summer heat caused her to go to bed in nothing but a pair of small cotton shorts and a thin camisole. He slips his hand beneath her top and spends several seconds rubbing her abdomen before moving to caress her breasts. Leslie gasps at the contact, her breasts both larger and more sensitive since becoming pregnant.

“That feels so good,” she groans against Ben’s lips, and in response he strips off her shirt and replaces his hand with his mouth.  After a while, the sensations on her overly sensitive breasts become too much, and she pulls his mouth back to hers.

Discontent at staying in one place, Ben’s lips quickly travel down the length of Leslie’s neck and he begins to suck and bite the soft flesh where her neck and shoulder meet.

“Ben, if you give me a hickey, I swear-” her threat dies on her lips as he nips at a particular sensitive spot and a groan overtakes her.  Ben smiles against her skin at her reaction, but Leslie exacts her revenge by scraping her nails against his nipples, eliciting a sharp gasp.

Her hands continue their journey south and slip beneath the waistband of his boxers, wrapping her fingers around his now throbbing flesh.  Ben’s hips reflexively buck against her hand, and he lets out a deep, guttural moan against her skin.  Between the two of them, they manage to completely remove his shorts, his erection springing free.

“Turn around,” Ben whispers in her ear, and Leslie complies. As Leslie’s stomach grew, they were forced to experiment with various sexual positions to accommodate her size. Also, during her last trimester, deep penetration was often too painful. For these reasons, the spooning position quickly became one of their more popular methods, allowing for optimal stimulation without penetrating too deeply.

Ben wraps his arms around her and runs his hands up and down her front while sprinkling kisses down her bare neck and back. He slips his fingers beneath her cotton shorts and is pleasantly surprised that she chose to forego underwear. He dips his finger inside of her slowly and spreads her wetness back and forth, circling her clit.

Leslie buries her face into her pillow, moaning each time he grazes her. He completely removes her shorts and firmly presses his chest against her back. She can feel his erection, strong and hard, pressing against her lower back, and she wiggles against him.

“Shit, Leslie,” Ben hisses between gritted teeth. He continues to tease her with his fingers, commenting on how hot and wet she feels, how he can’t wait to be inside of her.

He eventually removes his hand, and once again gently caresses her pregnant belly.

“I love you both so, so much,” he whispers in her ear, his voice shaky with emotion.

“We love you, too,” she responds, on the verge of tears herself before she feels Ben lift her leg and slip inside of her.

They both moan loudly at the sensation, Ben fighting the urge to thrust as he feels her stretch to accommodate him. Once she is ready, he slowly begins to pump in and out of her, her velvet heat surrounding him, squeezing him like a vise.

She urges him to go faster, and he willingly complies, his thrusts causing him to press firmly against her front wall.

“God, Leslie, you feel so amazing,” he manages to choke out between thrusts, his hands exploring every inch of her that he can reach.

Leslie tries to respond, but she can only manage to repeat Ben’s name over and over like a mantra, her ability to form coherent thoughts diminishing with each brush of his head against her g-spot.  His lips attach themselves to her neck and he begins to bite and suck, Leslie too far gone to even care if he leaves a mark.

With each move of his hips, Ben feels his previous fears and insecurities slipping away, knowing that whatever trials they face as parents, the will face them together. They are an unstoppable team that hasn’t yet faced a challenge they weren’t equipped to handle.

He is broken from these thoughts as he feels Leslie’s hand reach behind her and grasp his hair, urging him on even more. He moves his hand down her front and settles on her clit, circling in time with each of his thrusts.

Leslie’s moans soon rise in pitch until she is releasing small shrieks into the night air. He knows she is close, and he continues is steady rhythm. He whispers sweet nothings into her ear, telling her how amazing and strong she is, how much he loves her, and how lucky he is to have a family with her.

Leslie’s arousal is heightened by Ben’s words and she feels her orgasm quickly approaching.

“Ben, I’m so close. I’m gonna come. Faster, please,” she manages to beg between gasps.

Ben lifts her leg just a bit higher and begins to pound into her as fast as he can while his other hand continues to rub her clit. He can feel her start to pulse around him, the sensation moving him closer to his own release.

After several more intense thrusts, he feels her stiffen next to him as she throws her head back and comes strongly while yelling Ben’s name. He continues to push into her as she comes, prolonging her orgasm as best he can, the contracting of her walls surrounding every inch of him.

After what seems like an eternity, Leslie feels herself gradually becoming aware of her surroundings again, her breathing beginning to slow down. She can feel Ben pushing into her, desperate to find his own release. She turns her head slightly towards him and urges him to come, telling him how much she loves it when he empties himself inside of her.

Ben’s movements become increasingly erratic as he approaches his orgasm, finally being pushed over the edge when Leslie deliberately clenches herself around him. He presses his mouth against her back, her skin muffling his loud groans.

Once he catches his breath, Ben peppers soft kisses along her neck and back, once again rubbing his hands across her abdomen. He pulls her close to him and settles his nose in her hair, letting her scent surround him.

“Thank you,” he whispers to her.

She lets out a small laugh. “You’re welcome, but the pleasure was all mine, really,” she jokes.

Ben laughs along with her. “That’s not what I meant, although that was pretty wonderful.” He sighs deeply before continuing. “I mean thank you for everything, for listening to me without judging me and knowing exactly what to say to make me see reason. I can’t say that I’m no longer nervous, but just knowing that we will tackle this together makes me feel so much better.”

He places random kisses along the side of her face before he continues. “Thank you for choosing to love me, thank you for marrying me, thank you for making me a father,” he says as tears begin to fill his eyes, his hand placed protectively over his growing daughter.

Leslie shifts herself and rolls over to face him, her hand resting atop Ben’s on her abdomen. She leans towards him and places a tender kiss on his lips before resting her forehead against his. “And I am thankful to you for all of the same reasons. Please, never be afraid to share your problems with me. We are in this together, and that means letting each other know how we feel. Got it?”

“Got it,” Ben repeats with a small smile that is soon followed by a yawn.

“Let’s get some sleep,” Leslies says as she rests her head against Ben’s chest.

“I am so tired. Thank God it’s the weekend, and I can sleep in. ‘Night, Leslie,” he slurs as he kisses her forehead. He then kisses his palm and places it over Leslie’s bare stomach. “G’night, baby. I just want you to know that I love you and your mommy so much, and I can’t wait to finally meet you.”

Leslie smiles against his skin and places several soft kisses on his chest. “Good night, Ben.”

If you had asked him when he first came to Pawnee what mattered in life, Ben’s answer most likely would have been something related to his job or future political aspirations. He never would have guessed that only a few years later, the most important things in his life would be right here in his bed.

Before long, Ben can hear Leslie’s breathing even out as she falls into a deep sleep, him not far behind. As he drifts in and out of consciousness, new thoughts fill his head, thoughts of hope, love, and a little blond haired girl staring up at him with Leslie’s blue eyes.

It’s the best night’s sleep he has had in weeks.

 

 


End file.
